Tag: Steve Collins Jr

Already Ireland’s most decorated amateur boxer ever, on Saturday mighty atom Paddy Barnes begins his quest to become the finest prizefighter in the Emerald Isle’s rich pugilistic history.

At Windsor Park soccer stadium in his home city of Belfast, the former European and two-time Commonwealth Games champion, who also twice made the podium at the Olympic Games, rolls the dice against Nicaragua’s formidable WBC champion Cristofer Rosales….. with just 32 pro rounds showing on his slate!

Despite his unquestionable pedigree and home court, it is a task that odds setters believe is beyond ‘Paddy Power’ and they enlist the tricky and tenacious battler as a 17-10 outsider against a lethal Latino whose resume shows 25 more pro fights.

‘Rosales is a very good champion but I’m a 31 year old triple Olympian who’s been boxing for 20 years. If I’m not ready now, when will I be ready?’ asks the Danny Vaughan coached contender whose 21 month pro career includes just five gigs and no 12 round experience.

‘People have to remember that I also had eight ‘five-round’ fights with small gloves and no vest or headguard in the WSB where I’d be fighting the national champion every time.

‘Let’s be truthful, there’s no such thing as ‘amateur boxing’ at elite level, any more. The Olympics and WSB involve full-time paid professional athletes and the standard is extremely high. Some of the cream from the old communist countries will never go professional but they were fully matured men; among the very best fighters for their weight on the planet.’

The father of two daughters has had ample time to whip both body and mind into pristine fighting condition ahead of this unexpected voluntary challenge.

‘Basically, I’ve been in camp since January because I was scheduled to have fights in March, then June,’ states Barnes who persevered with the sport after losing his first 15 amateur contests!

‘I’ve been solid on this for 10 weeks, spending time at gyms in Liverpool, Glasgow, Birmingham, Dubai as well as Belfast. And I have the luxury of training alongside some of my very best friends such as Tyrone McKenna and Sean McComb which makes prepping really enjoyable. Everything has good extremely well.’

And Cliftonville FC diehard Paddy has no qualms about pursuing his world title dream in the den of NIFL Premiership arch rivals Linfield!

‘This’ll not be the first time a Cliftonville boy has won a fight over at Windsor Park!’ quips the engaging Barnes who was awarded an MBE for services to boxing and the community in 2015.

‘Home advantage is a big bonus. A sell-out is expected and I’ve personally sold over 800 tickets. There’s no home crowd like a Belfast home crowd but I’ll keep a lid on it. Having boxed in huge, often hostile arenas around the world, I’m far too experienced and well-schooled to lose focus. Besides, I’m acutely aware what Rosales is capable of doing to me if my concentration wonders.

‘But I hold the advantage here. I’ve competed on much bigger platforms and, the bigger the stage, the better performance I produce. I’m very conscious of giving the paying fans their money’s worth and partaking in a great fight.’

The one they call ‘The Leprechaun’ is not only eight years senior but, having conducted his stellar amateur innings in the 49kg light-flyweight class, will concede almost three inches in height, seven inches in reach to stick of dynamite Rosales.

‘Flyweight is my optimal division now and I’m very, very strong at 8st,’ insists Barnes.

‘Taller opponents are generally better for me because there’s no one my size in Ireland or the UK suitable to spar with so it’s the norm to spar taller, heavier men. That said, Rosales doesn’t really capitalise on his height. He’s right in your face.’

The explosive 23 year old champion has left 18 of his 27 victims staring up at the lights and commandeered his crown by clattering feared 15-0 (15) Tokyo terror Daigo Higa in nine over in Yokohama. But two of his three losses were inflicted by Brits Kal Yafai (pts8) and Andrew Selby (pts 12) and the Ulsterman is intent on completing the hat-trick.

‘Rosales is very tough and relentless,’ acknowledges Barnes.

‘You can’t take too much from his loss to Selby because Andrew has his own unique style. I took far more from his upset victory over Higa because I’ve a very similar style to Higa but I’m a bit more active.

‘Higa, a huge, huge puncher, was unable to hurt Rosales so I’m expecting a hard 12 rounder. Everyone warns Cristofer’s got 18 knockouts but I could fight 18 bums and get 18 kayos. That won’t be an issue. I was never dropped or stopped in over 300 amateur fights.

‘I know I’m the underdog but what do the bookies know? They had me down to win the Olympic gold medal!

‘I win because my skills and knowledge are superior to Rosales. He may be more experienced but I’m the better fighter. I intend to steal the show. I’m Paddy Barnes and I always win!’

Paddy Barnes will start televised proceedings on Saturday August 18th when he challenges WBC World Flyweight champion Cristofer Rosales for his world championship in front of a home crowd in Belfast at the city’s national stadium, Windsor Park.

Televised coverage of the big night of boxing will begin straight after the huge Premier League local derby between Chelsea and Arsenal live on BT Sport 1. Coverage of the big fight night will begin at 7:45pm.

“This is a massive bonus for Paddy fighting straight after the Arsenal-Chelsea match, it means there will be an even bigger audience tuning in to watch him for his big world title fight.” said boxing promotor Frank Warren; who also had a message for the fans heading to Windsor Park on August 18th:

“Get yourself in the stadium nice and early, grab a drink and enjoy an excellent night of world class boxing. Let’s hope it will stay nice and dry for everyone!”.

Amateur stand-out Barnes has two Olympic bronze and two Commonwealth Gold medals to his name and will be looking to add a professional world title to that collection on August 18th.

This will only be Barnes’ sixth outing as a professional after being fast-tracked to world title contention. In his most recent fight Barnes impressed by stopping tough Nicaraguan, Eliecer Quezada in the sixth round; a fighter who narrowly lost to upcoming opponent Rosales with a split decision just seven months before.

The WBC Flyweight king, Cristofer Rosales will be making his maiden title defence in Belfast after stopping the unbeaten Japanese fighter, Daigo Higa in Japan in which was a major upset.

The 23-year-old Nicaraguan already has thirty fights as a professional but has previously lost to two undefeated Brits in Andrew Selby and Kal Yafai. Rosales will be fighting to make it third time lucky against British opposition when he faces Barnes, along with retaining his WBC strap.

Fellow Belfast native and good friend of Barnes, Carl Frampton will be headlining the Windsor Park event when he defends his interim WBO World Featherweight title against Australia’s Luke Jackson.

Also on the BT Sport televised bill Lineal heavyweight king Tyson Fury faces a step up when he tackles two-time world title challenger Francesco Pianeta.

The bill also includes a light-heavyweight clash between Belfast’s Ward and Dubliner Steve Collins Jr. Also in action is WBO European middleweight champion Luke Keeler, Cummings, KO king Lewis Crocker, Marco McCullough, Sean McComb and Steven Donnelly.

The bill also includes a light-heavyweight clash between Belfast’s Ward and Dubliner Steve Collins Jr. Also in action is WBO European middleweight champion Luke Keeler, Cummings, KO king Lewis Crocker, Marco McCullough, Sean McComb and Steven Donnelly.

CARL FRAMPTON will turn nasty the moment he looks across the ring and sees Luke Jackson in the opposite corner.

He gets the chance to silence Jackson (16-0) when he defends his interim WBO featherweight crown against the Australian challenger at Belfast’s Windsor Park on Saturday August 18.

Jackson has angered Frampton suggesting he’s over the hill as a boxer and claimed he looks overweight in training.

That means an exciting night for 20,000 fans and viewers watching on BT Sport, but bad news for Jackson.

Frampton (25-1) said: “He has annoyed me a little bit, but not enough to take my mind off the game and be overly aggressive.

“He has annoyed me enough to wanna flatten him and put him out cold, properly.

“I haven’t knocked anybody out in a long time, but Luke Jackson is a guy who is going to get knocked out.”

Jackson, 33, has also teased Frampton over his amateur career claiming his experience in the London 2012 Olympics and other major championships betters the Belfast man’s achievements in the unpaid code.

Frampton added: “He keeps talking about his amateur career. Who give a f**k what he did as an amateur? He isn’t Vasyl Lomachenko.

“Let’s not forget he is based in Australia. If Australia sent a ten man team to box an international against Ireland they would get beat 10-0, and that’s a fact.

“His amateur career wasn’t even that good when you look at it.

“The reason Australia can send almost a full team to the Olympics is because they box Fiji, Samoa and Tonga.

“It is a lot easier qualifying process compared to what Ireland and GB have to go through for the Olympics.

“This is professional boxing and it’s almost a different sport. He will see on the night.”

Also on the BT Sport televised bill Lineal heavyweight king Tyson Fury faces a step up when he tackles two-time world title challenger Francesco Pianeta.

FRANK WARREN IS delighted to announce that Showtime Sports will present Carl Frampton’s interim featherweight title defense and the second comeback fight of lineal heavyweight champion Tyson Fury on Saturday, August 18 live from Belfast, Northern Ireland.

Former two-division champion Frampton will defend his interim WBO Featherweight Title against undefeated Australian contender Luke Jackson on the pitch at Windsor Park, where an expected 30,000 fans will witness the first boxing event at the home of Northern Irish football. In the opening bout, former IBF, WBA and WBO Heavyweight World Champion Fury will square off against two-time heavyweight title challenger Francesco Pianeta in Fury’s second comeback fight after a two-and-a-half year layoff.

The 31-year-old Frampton (25-1, 14 KOs), who rolled back the years with an inspired performance to win the interim WBO belt against Nonito Donaire in April, will face the unbeaten Jackson as he looks to earn a second world title in one of boxing’s deepest divisions. With a victory, Frampton will target blockbuster showdowns with WBA World Champion Leo Santa Cruz, WBC World Champion Gary Russell Jr., and IBF World Champion Josh Warrington, all of whom have appeared on SHOWTIME platforms in 2018. The WBO’s interim champion is also in line to fight full titlist Oscar Valdez, who is recovering from surgery to repair a fractured jaw.

Jackson (16-0, 7 KOs) was the captain of the Australian boxing team at the 2012 London Olympics and has won 16 consecutive fights since turning pro in 2013. The 33-year-old is confident he can upset Frampton in front of his hometown fans and earn a title shot in the deep 126-pound division.

Fury (26-0, 19 KOs) returned to the ring in June with a victory over Sefer Seferi, an outmatched opponent who retired on his stool after four rounds. Southpaw Francesco Pianeta (35-4-1, 21 KOs) represents a significant step-up in opposition for the 29-year-old Manchester native. Prior to his nearly three-year layoff, the 6-foot-9 Fury established himself as the premier heavyweight boxer in the world by becoming the first man to defeat Wladimir Klitschko in more than 11 years—and by taking the IBF, WBA and WBO world title belts from the Ukrainian great in the process.

Pianeta (35-4-1, 21 KOs), a 6-foot-5 southpaw who fights out of Germany, has twice challenged for the heavyweight world title. Pianeta faced then-unified champion WladimirKlitschko in 2013 and lost in a bid for a secondary title against Ruslan Chagaev in 2015. A win over Fury would could put the 33-year-old Italian native back in the heavyweight title picture.